Author Jen Meyers

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INTANGIBLE teaser

To celebrate that INTANGIBLE will be released next month (holy cow that makes it sound like it’s SO soon!) (I’m excited about it. Can you tell that I’m excited about it?) I’m going to start posting short teasers once a week.

 

Here’s teaser #1:

I’ll make her okay, Josh, Sera thought. She wished she could just pop up and tell him. Show him what she could do. Relieve his pain and worry. But that wasn’t possible. There was no way she could reveal her secret to him. Nor to anyone else. Anyone. Go back to sleep so I can heal her, she thought at him. And almost as if he’d heard, she saw his body relax, heard his breathing slow and the soft snores start again.

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

 

 

By jen | December 3, 2011 | Blog, Intangible |

In Such a State

I am in such a state of distraction right now, I cannot even tell you. (Well, I guess I can since that is what I’m doing.) You know that I’m deep in edits, in fact I’m inputting my changes right now and am about 100 pages from the end. (I edit on paper because I simply cannot do it on the computer. It just doesn’t work for me. So I end up writing down my changes and then having to go back through and input them all onto the computer. So it’s like I’m doing it twice.) (Yes, I do realize that’s not the most efficient way to do it, but it’s the only way that really works for me. I miss too much if I just read and edit it on the computer.) (Of course, because I’m doing it twice, I often improve on my edits when I go to input them. So, you know. It’s all good.)

Where was I? Oh, yes. Distracted. Because I’m still figuring out pricing for the book, and planning to get bookmarks made. (Shall I run a poll with the bookmark design, do you think? I have two designs I’ve come up with and I cannot decide between them. I think I shall have to ask for your opinion.) (Okay, so maybe I’ll do that next week.) (See? Distracted!)

And as more and more people download “Intuition” for free (it’s been free on Amazon for a week and it’s already been downloaded over 3,700 times–can you believe that?!) and we’re getting closer to the book release (January), I’m stressing about my website design. Honestly, I’ve been unhappy with the website and blog for a while, trying to figure out a way to meld the two. I’m sure you noticed, if you’ve been here before, that I recently changed the blog template. The old one was too hard to read and find information because the color of the text in the sidebar was too light (and I couldn’t change it, grrr). This new-to-me template is, in a word, meh. It’s okay. Not great. The text is now clearer, but the layout is cluttered, so I’m still finding it hard/distracting to read. You know?

I’m just not happy with it.

So, I’ve been researching for months what to do, and going back and forth about it. On the one hand, I don’t have to do anything until June, because I’ve paid for hosting through then. But the problem is I want to do something. I want to make it all seamless and consistent and shiny and beautiful. And I want to do it now.

But, of course, I have this book I’m working on, polishing, finalizing, and that really needs to come first. Especially since I am going to hand it to a couple of other people to read/edit before I hit the Publish button. (Especially if I really want that to happen in January.) (Which I do.) So I will have some time to work on a new website soon. I just have to decide how I’m going to accomplish this, and hope that I’m competent to do it.

Because I do want to do it myself. That’s just the way I am. (Can you tell?) And from what I’ve seen on web designers’ sites, when they design a site for you, you cannot make changes yourself. If you want changes made, you pay them to do it. I don’t like that system. If I were to pay someone to design a site for me, I’d want the administration of the site handed over to me completely, so I could make any changes I wanted at any time without incurring extra costs. And when I wanted a design revamp, I’d contact that designer again. But it doesn’t appear to work that way. (Please correct me if I’m wrong on that.)

And that system totally wouldn’t work for me because I’m always adjusting things on my site–wording, links, time lines, etc. I’m making this up as I go along, people, so I’ve got to be able to make the appropriate changes without it costing me. (Especially since I haven’t sold a book yet . . . you know, because I don’t have a book up for sale yet.) (Plus, I’m just not organized enough to know everything I’m going to want on a certain page ahead of time.) (At least, not yet. But I think I’m getting closer.) (Maybe.)

So I think I’ll be finding a place to host my site and use WordPress.org software for the design management. WordPress.org is different than WordPress.com (where I am now) because the .org version is completely customizable—you have total control over every aspect of your design and can do lots more fun things with it. The one I’m using now is too limiting. (And so many of those limits make me go grrr regularly.)

Also, I’m hoping that the transition from the two WordPresses should be seamless, so subscribers/followers won’t become unsubscribed or left with nothing to follow (at least I’m hoping it works like that–we’ll see, right?).

So, hey, if you happen to have any suggestions on webhosts to use (or avoid), please tell me in the comments. I could use all the help I can get.

Hope you’re having a great week.

By jen | November 29, 2011 | Blog, book news, Intangible |

Editing & Earth

I’m editing. Again. (Still?) (I know.) But I’m polishing this book up to be nice and shiny, and hopefully something that most people will love. I know it won’t please everyone. I’m okay with that. (Mostly.) And I’m going to do my darnedest to not read any negative reviews. (Hopefully, curiosity will just kill the cat, and not me.)

Speaking of reviews, “Intuition” has gotten one review on Amazon so far, and has been reviewed several times on Goodreads. If you’ve read it and wouldn’t mind leaving a short review about what you thought, I’d really appreciate it. Reviews help sell books, help spread the word. And though I’m not technically “selling” a book right now because the short story is free, getting more and more people to read it will help spread the word about INTANGIBLE and get people excited about its release. I can use all the help I can get in doing that!

If you’ve told anyone about “Intuition” or left a review, then you have my heartfelt thanks. I truly appreciate it. :-)

One of the things I’m doing in this edit is removing all the swearing. I really didn’t want to write a book chock full of swears and was keeping it mild, but the thing about swearing is that if you do it wrong, it really stands out. Like, say, if you’re trying to keep it mild by having your characters say “Oh, crap!” when they’re really in an “Oh, f***!” sort of situation. You can see the problem, I’m sure. It’s extremely noticeable when it’s wrong. So I either needed to take the swearing up a notch (or four or five) or just take it out completely. I opted to take it out, to see if that would work. And it does. It totally works, the swearing was unnecessary. (Whew.)

_________

On a completely unrelated but gorgeous note, if you haven’t seen this already, I really think you should. Stunning. The wild green and red colors you’ll see just above the atmosphere are the aurora borealis (aka northern lights).  Several times you’ll see lightning storms that look like lots of flash photography. And the grid of lights from cities and towns across the land looks like little strings of holiday lights. Really, this video is just so amazing.

The photos were taken from August through October of 2011 from the International Space Station. This video was made by Michael Koenig, and if you click on it, you can go read his notes about it.

Our world is beautiful, isn’t it?

Hope your week is starting out beautifully, too.

By jen | November 27, 2011 | Blog, book news, Earth |

On Conducting (Not) Very Scientific Wooly Bear Studies

It seems like fall is when we see tons of wooly bears, and this year has been no exception.

(Those are Riley’s hands. I’d never noticed how long his fingers were until I took these pictures.)

So, wooly bears are big excitement around here. We all go out to see the fuzzy little guys any time someone comes to the door announcing they’ve found one. (Though salamanders and toads rank highest in the I-have-to-go-outside-right-now-to-see-it category, most everyone wants to pet or hold a wooly bear.)

But over the weekend, Riley found a baby wooly bear. BIG excitement!

Have you ever seen anything so tiny, perfect, and cute? It was. It really, really was.

Just for even better perspective here, a full shot of Riley with that little tiny caterpillar in his hands. Can you believe how tiny it is?

Now, if we were going to predict our coming winter based on these two little wooly bears, it looks like we’re leaning toward a harsh winter, but not terribly harsh. (A wide brown band = mild winter. A narrow brown band = harsh. These two appear to be somewhere in between, but closer to harsh.)

This is scientific, people. We canvassed two wooly bears to find out what our winter will be like. In fact, it’s practically a study.

Do you have wooly bears where you live? (And if not, how in the world do predict the winter season?) :-)

By jen | November 17, 2011 | Blog, family |

Just This.

I was trying not to say anything about this because, you know, it’s so abominable the apathy and horrendous lack of human decency displayed by those in the know. It’s not like anything positive can be said, and I like to keep stuff on this blog positive. But I have young boys the same age as those Sandusky raped, abused, and scarred for life. And I cannot fathom how anyone could not stop a rape—of a child, no less—if they walked in on it, nor report it to police.

There is NO ONE on this Earth that I think so highly of that I could turn a blind eye to raping a child. No one.

By jen | November 15, 2011 | Blog |

“Well, I had resolved to be less offended by human nature, but I think I blew it already.”

A month or so ago, my kids discovered the stack of Calvin and Hobbes books we had tucked away on a book shelf. After much giggling and calls of “Hey! You gotta come see this one!” the books are now spread all over the house, and almost always have at least one child’s nose firmly planted within its pages. (The title quote is from one of the Sunday strips.)

One thing I think that speaks to the pure genius of Calvin and Hobbes is that you can appreciate the humor no matter who you are—I love them today as much as I did as a teen, my kids (5, 7, and 9) find them hilarious, to the point of quoting the dialogue in the strips just as other people quote movie lines. I love that!

I’ve been reading Bill Watterson’s essays and comments in The Calvin and Hobbes 10th Anniversary Book. In it he talks about different aspects of the comic strip business, including licensing which he totally opposed because he felt the spirit of the comic could not be well represented in one panel on a mug, bag, or t-shirt, and it would devalue Calvin and Hobbes by over-saturating the market. I can’t help but admire the guy. He had principles that couldn’t be bought. (Still does.)

He really captured the spirit of childhood—the good and the bad, how hard and frustrating it is to be a kid at times, and how wild and wonderful a kid’s imagination is. And he did it all with a near-perfect sense of timing and humor.

I don’t think any other comic has ever come close to the genius and humor of Calvin and Hobbes. Do you? What was your all time favorite comic strip?

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope it’s filled with laughter.

By jen | November 14, 2011 | Blog |

Moving Dates and Murmuration

After much deliberation, I’ve decided to push back the publishing date for Intangible to January. For many reasons, one of which is that it’s better for my book to come out at the beginning of a year than it is at the end of the year. If I were to put it out in December, by January it’s last year’s book. So, you know, I’d rather have it be “this year’s” book for longer than a month. This will also give me enough time to (possibly) have the paperback release at the same time as the ebook. Or at least, not too long after.

If you haven’t come across this already (and even if you have, because it’s so cool you should see it multiple times) you have got to watch this video of Murmuration, which is a group of thousands of starlings looking for a place to roost for the night. They swirl back and forth and all around, all wanting to stay together (safety in numbers), with no one wanting to be on the outside or the first to land. The visual effect of this is stunning. Prepare to be amazed. (Coolness begins around 0:24 mark.)

Thanks to Andy for the link.

Have a great day, everyone!

By jen | November 8, 2011 | Blog, book news, nature |

Good Can Come from a 72-Day Marriage

I admit that I laughed at the few tweets I saw last week bearing the hashtag #ThingsLongerThanKimsMarriage. (Like “This hashtag” and “Twitter’s character limit”—which is 140 characters, for those of the unTwitted.)

I’m not one to laugh at others’ misfortunes or heartaches. I am not a fan of reality TV as I’ve said before. I don’t like the fighting and backstabbing that is highlighted on reality shows. It’s not worthwhile or noble to bring out the worst in people, which, in my opinion, is exactly what reality TV shows strive to do. (What I’d really like to see, TV executives, would be shows that bring out the best in people. How about some of that?)

But a hyper-publicized marriage that lasts only 72 days? Seriously? I find it so completely ridiculous and am doubly glad we don’t have television. Not that I would have watched any of it, mind you—I don’t find that kind of thing interesting—but I’m glad I don’t have to suffer through all the media coverage of the planning, the wedding, and now its abbreviated ending after a mere two and a half months (almost).

It’s enough that it’s all over the internet. And I’ve successfully avoided it until I came across this link Rev. Susan Russell: A Thank-You Note to Kim Kardashian and had to click it. If you haven’t read it, you should. It’s right on, and so well said. Here’s part of it:

I am not sure you can appreciate just what a gift it is to have the extraordinarily well-publicized news of the end of your hysterically hyped marriage come the very week our congressional leaders are set to begin debating the Respect for Marriage Act on Capitol Hill.

Seriously. As a marriage equality activist, I cannot thank you enough for your gift of the stunning example of how the gender of the couple saying “I do” clearly has absolutely nothing to do with respect for the institution of marriage. It is a gift — I promise you — that will keep on giving.

As we continue to work for family values that value all families and a protect-marriage movement that protects all marriages, we will have your example to add to Britney Spears’ 55-hour marriage, Larry King’s eight marriages and Newt Gingrich’s three (just to name a few) as proof positive that marriage needs protection, all right — but not from gay and lesbian couples who want to pledge to live together until death do them part.

 

If this can help people who really DO want to be married (and, inexplicably, are not allowed to in most states) actually be granted the right to marry, then there will be something good that comes from something so utterly ridiculous as a two-and-a-half-month marriage.

That’s all we can hope for, right? That good will come from something bad (or ridiculous). That’s always my hope.

Have a great day, everyone!

By jen | November 6, 2011 | Blog, celebrity |

Hello

I’m a little slowed down this week from a cold, but I’m sitting here in front of this:

 

So, you know, it’s not all bad. :-)

Just wanted to say hello. More next week, friends. Hope you have a great weekend!

By jen | November 4, 2011 | Blog, life |